Maine Genealogical Society is a non-profit charitable and educational organization.
It was founded in 1976 to collect, exchange, preserve and publish genealogical records, related documents, and information; and to promote and encourage interest and scholarship in genealogy and family history of the State of Maine.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

I have been in contact with Janet [Weymouth, MGS Vice-President] and many others in an effort to determine the parents and genealogy of my g-grandfather William Howard Jones. From what I have been able to find out, he was born in 1861 in Maine. The town of his birth (according to his death notice) appears to have been Windham, Maine, but as their vital records for the period are missing, I have been unable to determine his parents, grandparents, etc. There is also marriage record in Yarmouth Maine showing his marriage to my great grandmother Jennie Groves. This record indicates that he came from another town, not Windham, and there are no records for him there either.

My query centers on Greeley Institute. It is my understanding from my grandmother (his daughter) that he graduated from Greeley sometime between 1871 and 1881. I am trying to locate the graduation records of this school in the hopes that they might help me forward my search. I have tried several sources including the Maine Historical Society, the Cumberland Historical Society, the Yarmouth Historical Society, and others. All of these contacts proved fruitless.

If someone out there might know where these records are, Lowry would love to hear from you.

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2008 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.

A survey conducted a few months ago by The Generations Network reports that few Americans know very much about their family trees. Among other facts, the survey discovered that:

One-third of Americans cannot name any of their great-grandparents.

Half of Americans know the name of only one or none of their great-grandparents.

Six out of ten Americans do not know both of their grandmothers' maiden names.

Twenty-two percent of Americans don't know what either of their grandfathers do or did for a living.

Although America is known as a nation of immigrants, 27 percent don't know where their family lived before they came to America.

Is this a problem or an opportunity? Commissioned by Ancestry.com and conducted by zOmnibus Survey, the survey does make some positive statements. For one, the survey reports that 83 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds are interested in learning their family history. Following closely are the 35- to 54-year-olds at 77 percent and Americans aged 55+ at 73 percent. It strikes me that there are millions of Americans who have at least a casual interest in their family trees but have no idea how to get started. I am particularly impressed that younger Americans reportedly are more likely to be interested in their ancestry than are senior citizens. That is the reverse of what I would have expected.

This is an opportunity for commercial companies and non-profit societies alike. A potential marketplace exists. The biggest difficulty is in identifying that audience and reaching them. Traditional advertising methods are prohibitively expensive. What we need is "grass roots" advertising. That's where you come in.

In your casual conversations with non-genealogists, you might ask a few questions: Where does your family come from? What did your grandparents do for a living? How about your great-grandparents? Are there any physical characteristics that run in your family? Can you remember any family stories that were told to you as a child? Do you believe those stories are accurate? Did your family have any memorable holiday or other traditions that were passed down from previous generations?

Of course, when the other person says, "I don't know," you should be ready to step in with a few suggestions of good books for beginners, the address and meeting dates of a local genealogy society, and perhaps a few web sites of genealogy interest. Hey, send them to THIS web site!If you and every other genealogist in this country can start "spreading the word," we can greatly increase the percentage of Americans who do know about their roots.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

It is with sadness that I announce the death of Christopher Dere, husband of long-time MGS Executive Committee member Flossie Dere. I know Flossie is well-known to many of our members through her years of dedication to the society. Our thoughts and prayers are with her in this time of sorrow.

Family and friends are invited to call from 2 to 3 p.m., Sunday, March 16, at the Wiles Remembrance Center, 136 High St. Wilton. Interment will be in the spring at Lakeview Cemetery in Wilton. Gifts may be given in Mr. Dere's memory to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312. Words of condolence may be sent to wilesfuneralhomes@verizon.net.